Best Nettops: The Small Form Factor Mini PCs For Surfing

Definition – Before we get to the list of best nettop PCsl et’s start by understanding what a Nettop PC really is. This is a new and relatively unknown term and denotes a small form factor PC, or a Mini PC with low power consumption characteristics that’s user for basic tasks like Internet surfing, office documents editing, listening to music and watching movies.

This means nettop mini PCs are not computers you want to run complex tasks with: they simply lack the power required to run demanding programs. The upside is that nettops are really small computers, some not larger than a typical desktop optical drive, while packing all the necessary ports and connections found on a typical laptop. A nettop desktop computer also consumes less power than a typical desktop, being almost as power efficient as a netbook (small 10-12 inch mini laptops), so they’re even more power efficient than a typical 15 inch laptop.

All of this is possible because essentially nettop PCs use netbook hardware, aka Intel Atom CPUs, pack no optical drive (most models) all in a thicker body that can sometimes cool the components without needing any fans, so they stay completely silent (perfectly quiet if you use a solid state drive). It’s easy to understand why nettop pc desktops are popular in environments where space is limited, computing requirements are low and budget is limited. Oh, yeah, almost forgot to mention that nettops are pretty cheap too, most coming in the 300-400 dollars price range and include a keyboard and mouse combo (check every nettop model before to be sure).

All of these things make nettops cheap alternatives to a regular desktop and since the latest models started to include more powerful graphics chips (Nvidia ION) it’s no wonder they started to take over the living rooms as multimedia PCs for video and audio playback to a big screen TV. Add a big and also cheap external hard drive (like the tested Western Digital Elements) and you got a very powerful mini SFF desktop PC (SFF = small form factor) or HTPC (Home Theater PC). Here’s our list with today’s favourite nettops, if not the best models at lest the nicest looking.

Read the Gadgetroad nettop pc reviews

6. Boxee Box

The Boxee Box nettop is quite a nice device to stream music, movies, photos and TV. Whether you stream them from your computer or from the internet, the Boxee Box nettop comes most of the times, like a reliable tool for entertainment. The access to Netflix and Vudu are an extra argument to my affirmation. What else is there to enjoy on the Boxee Box nettop? Well, the high-speed internet connection and the good resolution (1080 pixels) are just as important, in my book (and probably yours, too).  The good thing about it is that it can easily connect to your HDTV and spear you from the TV cable’s cost.

One can see that this particular nettop was designed by enthusiastic people, because its shape is rather the one of cube with interesting cuts and the combination of colors (black and green) was a successful one.

Boxee Box nettop PC

The price of the Boxee Box nettop is a little bit spiced up, from my point of view (almost 230 US dollars). So, all in all, it’s a trust wordy product and, unless you have a problem with the price, it will serve you well (in the case of home entertainment and activities such as the ones listed at the beginning). [read review and Buy from here]

5. Viewsonic VOT132

The ViewSonic VOT132 Mini Desktop PC nettop is (in my opinion) one of the most interesting nettops, in terms of design. A mini desktop incased in shiny black plastic gives the impression of taste and elegance. The inside, on the other hand, looks nice, too. A strong processor (Intel Atom 330 processor), 2 gigabits of memory and a good hard drive (320GB SATA). If the graphics is what worries you, you should know that they are taken care of by nVIDIA MPC7A-10N ION, that delivers 1080 pixels. The ViewSonic VOT132 Mini Desktop PC nettop has a pre-installed operating system, which (surprisingly enough) Windows 7, and that is not good if you happen to like another OS, for instance XP.

ViewSonic VOT132

For internet connection you have one Ethernet port and Wi-Fi. The connectivity, in general terms, looks decent: six 2.0 USB hubs, a smart card reader (5-in-one), a CD drive and a VESA mounting system (in the case you would like to attach the nettop to an HDTV and stream images, music or films on a bigger screen). The price of the ViewSonic VOT132 Mini Desktop PC nettop is listed for around 420 US dollars. It is not a small amount of money, but it is worth it! [Read our article or Buy from here]

4. Lenovo IdeaCentre Q150

The looks of the Lenovo System Q150 nettop is definitely something that draws your attention, because they make this nettop the expression of seriousness (it is very slim and it comes in black matte).  But, let’s start with the beginning, Lenovo System Q150 nettop is one of the nettops that come with a pre-installed operating systems and it is not hard to guess which one (Windows 7). That is a good thing because it saves you the trouble to install an OS, unless you don’t particularly like this one.

Lenovo IdeaCentre Q150

The processor of the nettop approached is Intel Atom D525 250GB (not bad) and there is the SATA disk (250GB), which makes the situation even better. The graphics rely on Nvidia ION, according to the recipe (of a nettop). Regarding the connectivity criteria, this is not the best nettop, from this point of view. Two 2.0 USB hubs are provided, Ethernet adjusts the internet issue and you can also connect the Lenovo System Q150 nettop to a TV, monitor or speakers.

The Lenovo System Q150 nettop is listed for almost 380 US dollars. It is a rather expensive product for what it offers. Although it seems solidly built, I would not call it the best deal! [read complete article or Buy from here]

3. Zotac MAG

The Zotac MAG nettop pc is equipped with a strong processor (Intel Atom N330) and it provides nice graphics (nVidia ION chipset). Other than that, 2GB (DDR2-800) of installed memory and a more than decent hard disk (160GB), make the Zotac MAG nettop pc a reliable piece of hardware.

In terms of connectivity, things look as good as they can. Six USB 2.0 hubs are provided, a VGA camera, an HDMI port, an eSATA port, SPDIF optical output and a smart media card reader (that reads SD/MS/MS Pro/XD). The internet connection is assured by WIFI technology and Gigabit Ethernet, plus eight audio channels and the VESA mounting system allows the user to attach the nettop of an HDTV.

Zotac MAG nettop mini PC

This nettop has no pre-installed operating system, so you can install the one that best covers your needs. The nettop is very suitable for both business and home entertainment.

The price of the Zotac MAG nettop pc is listed at almost 350 US dollars and although I like this nettop, its price is not very competitive, comparing to other devices of its kind. But if you don’t have a problem with the amount of money required, I’d say it is a solid piece of hardware! [read our test or Buy from here AMD, Intel]

2. Acer AspireRevo AR3700

As a general presentation, the Acer AspireRevo nettop pc uses a 1.8 GHz Intel Atom D525 dual-core processor, so it is a powerful product among other nettops. It provides 2 GB of installed DDR3 RAM and 250 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM), which is quite nice. The graphics are taken care of the NVIDIA ION Graphic, therefore Blu-ray Disc movies, Microsoft DirectX 10, and 3D video games in full HD are not a problem for the Acer AspireRevo nettop pc.

The connectivity aspect looks very nice, too. Wireless internet and Gigabit, as well, plus six USB hubs and Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader (able to read SD cards, Multi Media cards, xD-Picture Card, as well as Memory Stick and Memory Stick PRO)

Acer AspireRevo AR3700 mini PC

This is, in my opinion, one of the best nettops available on the market, at the moment. It is powerful, complex and compact (related to the design). I’d say it is a beast in entertainment matters and it is just as suitable for a business office or for home use.

The price for the Acer AspireRevo nettop pc is listed at almost 300 US dollars. It comes with pre-installed Windows 7 and the price includes a keyboard and a mouse (both wireless). It’s a good deal! [head on to our full post or Buy from here]

1. ASUS EEE Box EB121P

The ASUS Eee Box nettop pc is a sober and, somehow, elegantly designed nettop. But underneath this coverage there’s an Intel Atom D510 Dual Core Processor (1.66GHz), a strong (for a nettop) hard disk (320GB). The graphics are as good as they can be (NVIDIA ION (GT218-ION) Graphics with 512MB dedicated VRAM), next you get 2GB DDR2 RAM, but the superior limit of this particular nettop won’t get higher than 4 GB, unfortunately.

Another important detail is that the ASUS Eee Box nettop pc comes with Windows 7 pre-loaded and, from my point of view, it is not exceptional. Because, if you happen to like XP operating system better, than you would have to delete the Windows 7 and install the OS you like. It’s just too much work to do! Not to mention that a nettop with no pre-installed operating system will cost less.

ASUS Eee Box EB1012P

The price of the ASUS Eee Box nettop pc is about 390 US dollars. And I would not say that this is particularly the cheapest or the best nettop available on the market!  But if the price it is just a small annoyance to you, I ought to mention it is somehow a solid product! [read the test or Buy one from here]

Final words

There are our favourite nettop desktop PCs for now, but expect this list to grow larger in the months to come, so it might be a good idea to bookmark this page for future reference and come back from time to time if you are interested in nettop computers. And you can let us know what you think about our selection in the comments form below.